Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-03-31

my DiioS VI country law
yer from Wisconsin to be chief
clerk of the Post Office Department
illustrates the civil service reform
farce as it is now played. If the
competitive examination system is
worth anything, its fruits must
be the development from within the
departments of the best men for
chief clerkships and other places
where the most perfect knowledge
of the business of the bureau is
required. An officer brought in
from outside the department is nee
essarily for long ime mere figure
head, who is compelled to depend
upon the skill, experience and fidel-
ity of his subordinatcs.
In the notable educational.con-
vention held here during the past
week, which was attended by the
superintendents and many teachers
from all parts of the country, one of
the prominent educators said, in the
study of the question of civil ser
vice reform, he had been struck with
its application to the public school
system. The spoils system, of which
SO much was said in politics, had
made its appearance in the schools
Places on the boards Of education
were sought for the money in them.
If it were the purchase of site,
the selection of plan, or the giving
Of a contract, it was not the most
suitable site, or the best plan or the
most advantageous contract that
controlled the selection, but the per
cent. the members of the board were
to get from the transaction.
Washington is to have a new in
stitution, namely bureau Of inform
alton, which will make it a business,
for a moderate fee, to answer all
questions that may be sent to it
literary, scientific, departmental, po-
litical, etc. On this its people are
to be congratulated, as well as mem
beers Of Congress. The latter justly
complain that their time is contin-
ually taken up in looking after
rifling matters for their constituents
and citizens are constantly applied
to by acquaintances in different
parts Of the country for information
obtainable here. Such a bureau
here could perform a great and use
full service to the people throughout
the country, for the National Capital
possesses uncqualled sources of
knowledge.
This reminds me of the sorrows
Of United States consul at one of
the South American ports, who has
been pouring out his heart by letter
to a friend in this city. In the first
place he said he was not allowed to
keep a clerk, yet almost every mail
brought letters without stamps for
return POSTAGE asking for informa-
tidn. There were letters wanting to
know about that country and letters
from naval officers requesting differ
emit commissions. A merchant
writes to get the commercial stand
ing of various parties, and others
write for complete list of the bust
ness houses in Brazil. One man
writes TO inquire as to the will of
some one who might have died in
the Argentine Republic or Uruguay
about the year 1870, although it
might have been earlier or later
than that
The poor man thinks the consuJ's
life anything but a happy one, and
says he will be obliged to resign
soon unless the Government does
something for his relief. He says
he tries to answer each communi-
cation to the best of his ability. If
his answers please, he gets no
thanks. If they do not he gets
abuse and threats for not attending
to the writer's business.
Four years ago the Wisconsin
fish commissioners placed thousands
of young speckled trout in the small